Knowing a Bit About Iran Before Sliding Into War

Somehow Walter Pincus’s wise piece on Iranian historical sensibility vis a vis the U.S. got through the matrix at the Washington Post. A key observation, near the bottom.

Iranians in general support their right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium. As Mousavian put it: “Regardless of who is ruling Iran . . . no one would make concession on the rights of Iran for enrichment.”

On sanctions, Mousavian said, “I’m 100 percent sure if even they [the United States and others] go for further crippling sanctions, Iranians, they would not change their nuclear policy. When I say nuclear policy, the core issue is the rights under NPT. This is the core issue. They would not give it up.”

Note as well, Iran has a legal right under the existing nuclear proliferation treaty to enrich uranium. (Israel is a non-signatory to the NPT, so wasn’t in violation when commencing its own clandestine nuclear-weapons program.)

I’ve never met an Iranian of any political stripe who doesn’t support Iran’s right to have a nuclear program. This includes Green supporters, Shah supporters, old monarchist backers, liberals, communists, etc. Probably would help if more Americans knew this.

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6 Responses to Knowing a Bit About Iran Before Sliding Into War

The most important problem just now is Iranian enrichment to 20 percent. Iran a year ago announced its intention to treble production of 20% U. This was a blunder, that Iran tried to correct (by offering to stop enriching to 20% if it was permitted to buy the TRR fuel).

The US effectively forced Iran to begin enriching to 20 percent, by blocking Iran’s application to buy fuel for the Tehran reactor.

Walter Pincus shoulkd be remembered for his very good articles questioning the “evidence” Iraq was trying to build nukes etc etc etc that was used to dupe the American public to set up the invasion of Iraq.

I’ve never met an Iranian of any political stripe who doesn’t support Iran’s right to have a nuclear program. This includes Green supporters, Shah supporters, old monarchist backers, liberals, communists, etc. Probably would help if more Americans knew this.

I suspect most patriotic citizens feel this way, regardless of country.

I do wish the old monarchists would win out, though. They stand a much better chance of keeping the country together in a peaceful way than any of the other factions do.

“On sanctions, Mousavian said, “I’m 100 percent sure if even they [the United States and others] go for further crippling sanctions, Iranians, they would not change their nuclear policy. When I say nuclear policy, the core issue is the rights under NPT. This is the core issue. They would not give it up.””

This is a correct analysis of the Iranian nuclear policy which has a broad public support too regardless of the economic toll imposed upon them.
The US miserably fails to understand each time they impose stricter sanctions on Iranians it emboldens and make them more determined to weather through them and deny US the pleasure of significant leverages and tools at its disposal to bully and impose its unilateral and often inhuman policies on a disadvantaged country as well as not setting a precedent.